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TO ALL WHOM IT'MAY GONCERN:

Beit known that I, M. T. DNRAKE, of Pleasant Ridge, Hamilton county, and State of Ohio, have invented i a. new and improved Potato Digger, of which the following Ais a full and clear description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of` this specification. p i

My improvement relates to a machine so constructed as to greatly facilitate the gathering, cleansing, and dropping in piles of potatoes. First, by means of a shovel, cutters, and revolving levellers, attached to movable frames withinfthemain frame and operated by levers and screw; second, by means of an improved elevator and.y

screen; third, by means of a dumping-box attached to the rear of the machine.

Figure 1 is a plan of my improved potato digger, as' seen from above.

Figure 2 is an elevation of the machine as seenfrom the left side.

Figurel is a. general view of the under side 'of the machine, asseen from beneath.

Figure 4 is a front elevation of the machine.

Figure 5 is a section view, taken longitudinally through part of the screen and the dumping-box'.

A represents the main frame of the potato digger, B is thc Vaxle of the driving-wheels C. I The axle B is` made fast to the main frame A, the wheels G revolving yfreely upon it. An inner frame, A', rests upon and vibrates about the axle B. A cross-piece, a, near the front empl of frame A', acts as a bearing for gauging-screw, which passes through the hub on the elevating frame e, at the four corners of frame c, are made fast, and pass" vertically downwards through the inner frame A', the elevating columns c', and made`fast to the gaugingsframe A, directly beneath the front end of the inner frame -AL From 4the under side of the side rails of gaugingframe A depend hangers, d', which'support the cutter-'axle e. -Coiled about the cutter-axle e, between the left hanger @Z and clutch f, upon the extreme vend of cntter-axle c, clutch f, meshed into clutch j, made fast to eog; wheel f, about which passes the driving-chainV g, driving-chain g engages the large cog-wheel h, made fast to.` the left driving-wheels. The cutter-axle e is provided with two circular cutters, lc, symetrically placed with` reference to the frame `of the machine, and at a designated distance apart, A double `mitre gear-wheel, k', is secured to cutter-axle e, midway between the circular 'cutters lc, it meshes intov the mitre-wheels. l, which me` attached to the axles Z. To the front end of axle Z are secured the levellers m.'- The inner frame, A', is elevated or depressed at its front end by operating the ratchet sector n through handle n', the spring,standard'onuade` fast to the front rail of mainframe A, engages the ratchet sector n. From the inner framcA to the rear of gauging-frame A project downwards the supports p, from which, incliniug towards the ground, is the plow F,

made up of shovel g, passing betweeucutters k, and terminating in share 1t and .mould-boards s, secured to the] under side of shovel g, also project outside foutters k; In the Asupports p are journals for the drum t. The` endless bucket elevator D passes about the drum t and over' drum u, the axle of whiehrefvolves in jouln-al-boxes`` upon theside rails of inner frame A, directly in the rear ofiaxle B, the bucket elevator 1)is made up oftwo belts, o, and rods, o', which pase between and are secured to them; every fourth rod has attached to it-the plate" u, making an angle of nearly ninety degrees with the plane of elevation of the elevator, main gear-wheels E, considerably smaller in diameter than the driving-wheels C, to which they are secured,.mesh` into pinions'E,

revolving freely upon axle w, which passes between the upper and lower` parts of the bucket elevator D, cog-wheels' w made fast to the axle w,'engage rods v of the elevator. A clutch, :6, upon either end `of axle w, sliding@` l upon a feather in the axle w, throws in or out of gear the cog-wheel f and pinions E', by means` of levers gland y and eccentric z,

which is operated by lever or crank-handle z. To the rear of and somewhat below the elevator is the reciprocating screen, l, which hangs by rods, `2, from the transverse girders,` 3, which are made fast to` the side rails of inner frame A', from the rear and front ends of screen 1, to which they are pivoted, the pitmen 4 extend to the crank-shaft 5; crank-shaft 5 has 'secured to its front end the mitre-gear 6, meshing into mitre-` wheel 7, upon axle w. A short distance to the rear of the elevator is the pulverizing-board 8, nearly verticle o ver the front end of screen 1. Directly beneath the rear cross-piece of `main frame A, to which it in position is secured,is dumping-box 9; a transverse section of the box 1s in Shapgthe quadrant of a circle, the circular bottom 9 is fitted into grooves in the ends of the box. Springs 9 bear down upon the eil-cular boi-.tomQQ they rod 10 is made fast to a lug projecting from the circular bottom, and also to the lower end of hay@` 11,

` Operation.

The machine, in moving forward, the working parts being in gear, gives a rotary motion to the levcllers m, which rotate outwardly at the bottom, breaking down, at the saine time spreading from the contare line ofthe row the potato-tops. When the machine has been advanced about the length ofthe levelles m, the forward point of share r enters beneath the potatoes inthe' row, continuing in a horizontal position until the onward movement of the machine brings the shovel q in contact with thc ground; at this time the circular cutters 7c have operatedv in cutting ed' the potato-tops and channelling the lground on each side of the plow F, thus limiting the amount of earth to be raised from the ground hy shovel rl. The forward motion of the machine still continuing, the earth containing the potatoes passes from the shovel g on to the endless bucket elevator D, up which it is carried rapidly and thrown against the pulverizing-board 8. In the ascent upon nthe elevator much of the loose earth dropped between the rods v of the elevator to the ground,4 `materially les'seningthe weight of material carried. Severe impact whichthe potatoes surrounded with earth', and the clods meet in contact with the puiveriz'ingboard 8, eifectually separates the potatoes from the earth, when both fall upon the reciprocating screen 1. The rapid reciprocating motion of the screen 1 soon causes the now pulverized earthto fall to` ,the ground, the potatoes, on account of the inclination downwards toward the rear` drop by4 degrees into the dumping-box 9. When the dumping-box is full the operator draws toward him the handle of the lever 11, this opens the circular bottom 9', the potatoes fall in a pile, the bottom when up, and the box open, as shown in iig. 5; the mouth of the screen is Covered so as to prei-'ent the potatoes passing from the screen into the dumping-.box while itis open, the operator having removed the pressure, the springs 9 react upon and closes the circular bottom, the dumping-box remains closed until full, when it is again opened as above shown. In order t0 dig deep or shallow, the front end of the'inner frame A", the operator elevates or depresses, the share r isthus made to take up any amount of earth, or may be removed entirely out of the ground; the mould-boards s serve to throw outward from the potatorrow the earth not taken up by the shovel q, and leaving thegroundin goed condition for planting. The depth the cutters enter the ground and the distance above the potato-row of the levellers at, is regulated by means of gauging-screw b, elevating or depressing gauging-frame A. When the machine is backed the moving parts Vof the machine d'o not operate, the clutches being 'in gear only when the machine moves forward.

l Having described the construction of my improved potato digger, the use to which its various parts are adapted, and the .advantages it possesses over the machines' now in use, I make the following claims, which I desire to secure by Letters Patent- I 1. The main frame A, vibrating inner frame A', gauging-frame A and axle B, constructed substantially as above described, and `for the purpose specified.

2. The levellersA m, constructed andoperating as above described, and for the purpose set'forth.

3. The levellers m and cutters c, in combination with gauging-frame A, substantially as above described and set forth.

4.-. The plow F, consisting of shovel g, share r, and mouldJ-boards s, as above described, when used for the purpose set forth.

5. The shovel q, in combination with the vibrating inner frame A', constructed and operating as above` described,and for the purpose set forth.

6. The endless bucket elevator D, constructed substantially as above described. 7. The pulverizing-board 8, in combination with the endless bucket elevator D, for the purpose specified. `8. The irregularly reciprocating screen 1, in combination with the crank-shaft 5, constructed and operating as above described, and for the purpose set forth. K Y A 9. The dumping-box 9, in combination with rod 10 and lever 11, constructed and operating substantially as' above described,'and for the purpose set forth. I v

10. The clutch-gearingf and-x, in combination with the levers y and y and eccentric as above described, and for the purpose set forth.

11. Theframes A, A', and A, levellers m, circular. cutters 7c, plow. F, endless bucket elevator D, pulverizing-board 8, irregularly reciprocating screenl, dumping-box 9,and clutch-gearings fand x, combined and operating as above described, and for the purpose set forth. l

' M. T. BRAKE. Witnesses:

PATRICK KILLIN, CHARLES L. FIsHEn, 

